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Pastrami Benedict from 'The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home'

Posted by Kate Williams, Nov 14, 2013

[Photograph: Caren Alpert]

Eggs Benedict is not something I would normally make at home. I usually prefer to let the experts whisk hollandaise and poach eggs for me. But Nick Zukin and Michael C. Zusman's latke-based, pastrami-topped rendition in The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home was too tempting to pass up. Because Zukin and Zusman call for a blender hollandaise sauce (a seriously great technique), the Benedict itself is easy to put together—provided you're not nervous about poaching eggs (and you shouldn't be because we have a foolproof method for poaching eggs). And if you've got extra latkes laying around from, say, a Thankgivukkah or Hanukkah dinner the night before, it's even easier.

Why I picked this recipe: I had to try making eggs Benedict at home at some point, so why not start with this twisted Jewish deli version?

What worked: Somebody should start a campaign to have pastrami permanently replace Canadian bacon on eggs Benedict everywhere.

What didn't: As written, the hollandaise is very thick. I needed to add a few tablespoons of water to make it into a spoonable sauce.

Suggested tweaks: If you really want to DIY this, make your own pastrami first.